Truss



(5. W. LOWE Nova 22, 1938.

TRUS S Filed April 28, 1937 ,//l V5/I 7"0// gzio/ea' 77 Z 0 W5. 67% Ifrrx Patented Nov. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES sATENT oFFicE TRUSS George W.Lowe, Los Angeles, Calif. Application April 28, 1937, Serial No. 139,570

Claims.

This invention relates to a truss and has for its principal object theprovision of a relatively simple, practical and inexpensive truss andtrusspad that may be conveniently fitted to the body 5 and worn withoutundue discomfort, and the pad that is carried by the frame of the trussbeing constructed so that it will materially assist in retaining thetruss in proper position upon the wearer and at the same time to holdthe hernia without undue pressure on the body.

A further object of my invention is to provide a truss having a bandformed of metal that may be easily and conveniently bent so that it willfit with comfort upon the wearers body and, further, to provide a padformed in a single piece, preferably from sponge rubber, and which isprovided with a circular channel which, when the pad is positioned onthe body, functions as a vacuum suction cup to cooperate with the metalframe and strap in holding the pad in proper position upon the hernia.

A further object of my invention is to provide a truss wherein the metalband or strap that passes partially around the wearers body is providedat its rear end with a depending plate, and the latter being covered andcushioned to form a back pad that is highly effective in supporting therear portion of the truss upon the body. 30 With the foregoing and otherobjects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter morefully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a truss constructed in accordance withmy invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear end of the metal strap or bandthat forms a part of the truss frame.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken approximately on the line4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a front. elevational view of the elastic front pad.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing illustrating apreferred embodiment of my invention, designates a strip or band of 5metal, having a certain degree of pliability in order that it may bereadily bent to fit the contour of the side of the body, and I prefer toform this strip or band from duralumin, inasmuch as this particularmetal is comparatively light in weight and repeated tests andexperiments, as

well as continued use, have proven that this metal has the requisitedegree of strength and pliability.

This metal band is bent into substantially semicircular form. so as tofit around the side of the body, and formed integral with the rear endof the band is a depending plate I I, which forms the base of a backpad.

Applied to the rear surface of the plate H is a covering member l2,preferably of leather, and overlying the front face of said plate is afront covering member I3 of leather or other soft flexible material.

Interposed between the front covering member I3- and the plate H is afilling 14, of soft fibrous material, which provides a cushionimmediately in front of the plate if, and the entire structurecomprising said plate II, the covering members [2 and I3, and thefilling l4 constitute a pad that depends from the rear end of the bandIt, and which bears on the back of the wearers body.

The edges of the covering members l2 and I3 are secured to each other bya row, or rows, of stitching.

Secured to the upper outer corner of the back pad is one end of aflexible strap l5, preferably formed of woven fabric, and the lower endof this strap is permanently secured to the lower portion of the backpad.

Mounted to slide freely upon its flexible member I5, is a buckle IE, towhich is adjustably secured one end of a strap ll, of flexible material,preferably woven fabric, and which is adapted to pass around the side ofthe wearers body opposite from the side upon which the metal band l-Oispositioned.

The free end of strap l1 carries a section l8 of leather or analogousmaterial, and formed therein is an aperture I9, similar to a buttonhole.

Detachably and adjustably mounted on the front endof the metal band I0is the front pad of the truss, and which: pad is adapted to exertpressure on the body directly over the hernia.

The body 20 of this pad is formed in a single piece from sponge rubberor analogous material, and. its-rear face is suitably secured,preferably by cement, to a substantially oval or disk-shaped member 2|,preferably formed of leather. The entire face of the elastic body 20 isprovided with a thin skin or covering 22 of rubber, having a smoothvelvet-like surface, so that it will make comfortable contact with theskin.

The face of the elastic body of the pad is formed so as to provide amarginal rib 23, having a rounded cross sectional contour, and centrallyarranged within this rib is a rounded protuberance 2 3 that extendsabove or beyond the highest portion of rib 23. This protuberance 24 isconcentric with, and spaced apart, from the marginal rib 23, therebyproviding between said rib and protuberance a substantially annulargroove or channel 25.

The end portion of the metal band III that receives the front pad 20 isprovided with a short longitudinally disposed slot 26, and to secure thepad to the band H] a screw 2! passes through the center of the disk 2|and engages a nut 28 that is positioned within the body of theimmediately adjacent inner face of the member 2|.

The outer end of screw 2'! carries a conventional slotted head 29, andformed on said screw a short distance from said head, is a disk 39,which, when the screw is tightened, clamps the metal band ID to the backmember 2| of the pad.

The construction just described provides simple and efficient means fordetachably and adjustably securing the front pad to the metal band it,and, after the pad has been adjusted to the proper position, it may befurther clamped in such position by a screw 3| that passes through slot26 and into or through the back member 2| of the pad.

The screw head 29 and that portion of the body of the screw between saidhead and the disk 38, functions as a stud to engage through button-hole9, thus securing the free end of strap I! to the end of the metal bandthat carries the front pad.

When applied to the body, the metal band may be conveniently bent so asto fit snugly and conveniently upon the side of the body, and the end ofthe band that carries the front pad may be bent upwardly, downwardly,inwardly or outwardly so as to locate the front pad against the bodydirectly over the hernia. The free end of the strap I1 is now connectedto the stud on the outer end of screw 21, and the strap may be adjustedaround the side of the wearers body by moving the rear end of said strapthrough the buckle IS.

The back pad provides a bearing of substantial area for the truss on therear portion of the wearers body, preferably at a point directlyopposite the hernia that is engaged by the front pad, and the latterbears, with a certain degree of pressure, on the body directly over thehernia.

The central protuberance on the front pad presses against the inguinalcanal to close the same in the same manner that a rubber hose may beclosed by exerting pressure against said hose from opposite pointsthereon, and thus the hernia is held without any undue or severepressure on the body.

When properly applied to the body, the annular channel or groove 25functions as a vacuum suction cup in retaining the front pad in properposition upon the body, and as said front pad is formed in a singlepiece from soft elastic material, such as sponge rubber, it will yieldreadily to all movements of the body with which it is engaged, and itstendency to slip on the surface of the body is minimized.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a truss that is relativelysimple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, and very effectivein performing the functions for which it is intended.

The truss is universally adjustable, affords relief and comfort to thewearer, and the construction of the one-piece elastic front pad is suchthat it acts automatically to retain its adjusted position upon thewearer and to hold the hernia perfectly without undue pressure upon thebody.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved truss may be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a truss, a substantially semicircular band of metal having acertain degree of pliability, a substantially V-shaped plate formedintegral with and depending from the rear end of said band, a padsecured to and covering the entire front face of said plate, a one-piecefront pad of elastic material adjustably positioned on the front end ofsaid band, a strap adjustably and detachably connected to said back pad,and means for detachably connecting the front end of said strap to thefront end of said metal band.

2. In a truss, a substantially semicircular band of metal having acertain degree of pliability, a substantially V-shaped plate formedintegral with and depending from the rear end of said band, a padsecured to and covering the front face of said plate, the front end ofsaid band having a longitudinally disposed slot, a one-piece front padof elastic material overlying the slotted front end of said band, a pairof spaced screws passing through the slot in said metal band and seatedin said front pad, and flexible means for holding said band and pads inposition on the body.

3. In a truss, a substantially semi-circular band of pliable metal, asubstantially V-shaped plate formed integral with and depending from therear end of said band, a covering for said plate,

cushioning material between the front wall of' said covering member andsaid plate, and a one piece pad of elastic material detachably andadjustably mounted on the forward end of said band.

4. In a truss, a substantially semi-circular band of pliable metal, asubstantially V-shaped plate formed integral with and depending from therear end of said band, a covering for said plate, cushioning materialbetween the front wall of said covering member and said plate, aonepiece pad of elastic material detachably and adjustably mounted onthe forward end of said band, and adjustable means for holding saidmetal band and pads in position upon the body.

5. In a truss, a substantially semi-circular band of metal having acertain degree of pliability, a plate formed integral with and dependingfrom the rear end of said band, a pad carried by said plate, a one-piecepad of elastic material carried by the forward end of said metal band, aflexible loop secured to the pad on the rear end of the metal band, aflexible member adjustably connected to said loop, and means fordetachably connecting the forward end of said flexible member to the endof the metal band carrying the elastic pad.

GEORGE W. LOWE.

